After the End
by writeallnight
Summary: The war is over, but their lives are just beginning. A chronicle of Ron and Hermione's life from the Battle of Hogwarts to 17 Years Later. The highs and lows, weddings, babies, career moves, and everything in between. Love, laughter, and snogging abound!
1. When It's All Over

A/N: Hello and welcome to the fic that never ends! I started writing this shortly after Deathly Hallows was published in 2007. It is, to date, the longest thing I have ever written. Because I've been working on it so long it's sort of an interesting timeline of my writing style and growth. After fiddling with it forever and ever I've decided it's time for it to see the light of day. What follows is the beginning of Ron and Hermione's after. This chapter takes place immediately after the Battle of Hogwarts and the final chapter (hopefully, it's still not done!) will take place right before 17 years later. It's been a labor of love and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

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Ron Weasley stared at the fire in the Gryffindor common room. They'd gathered the dead, laid them in the Great Hall and then…no one had quite seemed to know what to do after that. His brothers had seen his parents and George home, but Harry had made it clear he wanted to stay at school and Ron wasn't going to leave him. So he and Hermione and Ginny had trailed him to the tower. Harry and Ginny had disappeared soon after that and then Hermione had gone to clean up a bit. He should probably be doing the same. Or sleeping, or something. He honestly didn't know what to do.

So here he sat, stiff as a board, trying to feel anything besides the black emptiness that was spreading through him.

It was over. They had won. He should be happy. Instead he felt numb.

"Ron?"

Hermione's gentle voice stirred him from his torpor. She had showered, her hair was still damp, and she'd changed into a worn pair of pyjamas. Something in his heart flickered as if it was trying to come back to life, but it wasn't enough to overcome the darkness within him.

"Hey," was all he could manage.

"Are you all right?" Her hands were twisting around themselves in the way they did when she was anxious.

He didn't know what to say. They'd never talked about what came after. What did you do when the world had ended but your heart was still beating?

Words began to slip from his lips unbidden. "How many times did we escape death Hermione? How many times did we come so close only to avoid it at the last second?"

"I don't know," she said quietly.

"Me neither. It's been a lot though."

"Yes."

"But we always got away. Just good luck I guess."

"I guess so."

"Why couldn't he have lived when we did so many times?" She always had the answers. Surely she could tell him why his brother was lying dead in the Great Hall with forty-nine of their friends.

Tears filled her eyes. "I don't know Ron."

His gut twisted and he shook his head helplessly. "What am I going to do? My family is heartbroken. George will never be the same. How am I supposed to feel?"

Desperation began to build inside him. How were they supposed to go on?

Hermione's voice trembled as she spoke. "I think we're just going to have to take it one day at a time."

"One day at a time," he said hollowly. "We've been taking it one day at a time for a year. It was all supposed to be for something. We were supposed to fix all of this and I think we just broke it more."

"We didn't," she said. "V-Voldemort's gone Ron. We did that."

"Yeah well, Fred's gone too!" he snapped. "And it doesn't feel worth it. It doesn't feel like anything but shit because he's never coming back. We killed him."

"No," Hermione was shaking her head. "It's not our fault."

"Then why does it feel like it is? Why does it feel like I killed my brother?"

The words came out on a whisper and part of him that had been so numb suddenly split open, a gaping wound that hurt worse than anything he could have imagined. He put his face in his hands and began to sob.

He felt her arms go around him and he tried to push her away because he was imploding and didn't want her to go down with him. But she grabbed onto him, holding on tight as grief clawed at his throat. "It hurts too much," he said with a gasp. "I didn't know it could all feel this bad."

"I'm sorry," she choked out, her own tears falling thickly.

He scrubbed a hand across his swollen eyes. "It's just all so broken."

"I know. I know it is." She tucked her head into his shoulder, and he found his tears flowing afresh. His whole body ached and it felt like he was drowning.

He didn't resist when she entwined her hand with his and nuzzled in even closer. The tears finally stopped, leaving behind exhaustion. He felt her pull a blanket over the two of them as his eyes closed, sleep finally demanding he give into its embrace.

He could feel her breathing slowing and knew she was falling asleep as well. He was grateful she was here to share his pain and confusion, grateful that through it all she'd never left his side. The flicker he'd felt before sparked again and in the hazy place between awake and dreaming his brain whispered what it was: a small drop of hope.

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A/N: Leave your love in the reviews!


	2. The Funeral

A/N: Chapter 2 is here! Thanks to the lovely people who reviewed Chapter 1. It helps to know people are enjoying it so far!

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As Kingsley spoke words over his brother's casket Ron clutched Hermione's hand, his eyes burning with tears. He wished with every bit of himself that he were somewhere else. He thought he might be sick. It was wrong, putting his brother in the ground. It felt final.

Ginny had her face buried in Harry's shoulder. His mother was being supported by their father, pale as a ghost and looking on the verge of collapse. But George was the worst. He was standing perfectly straight, grief etched into every line of his ashen face. Kingsley finished speaking and lowered the casket into the ground. "George," he said quietly.

Ron watched as his brother stepped forward and raised his wand to lower a mound of earth on top of his brother. His outstretched hand trembled as the mound rose slowly into the air and then wobbled dangerously as George fell to his knees. Before Ron could move, his father was there, grasping George's hand, keeping his wand aloft.

The earth landed with a hollow thud on top of the casket and George collapsed against his father in tears. Ron felt his own knees going weak and leaned heavily against Hermione who squeezed his hand. It was done. Fred was gone.

People began to depart and Ron sighed. Hermione pulled away and looked at him seriously. "Ron, Harry and I are going to go after the wake."

"Go?" Ginny asked. "Go where?"

"Hermione and I thought we would let you have some time alone," Harry said. "As a family."

"What are you talking about?" Ron said incredulously. "You are family. You're not going anywhere."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"You loved Fred as much as we did," Ginny said in a tone that put an end to it.

All Ron wanted was to go up to his bedroom and sleep, preferably with Hermione close by. But there was a wake to be had and it didn't seem anybody felt much like leaving when they could be telling stories about Fred instead. Or maybe they just needed an excuse to finally celebrate their victory. The pall that had hung in the air since the battle seemed to have lifted a bit, leaving them free to breathe again.

The food never seemed to run out either considering how many witches and wizards were filling the house and yard. They soon found out why. "Ron," Ginny appeared at his side, her eyes worried. "It's Mum. Can you talk to her?"

Ron entered the kitchen and ducked as a frying pan flew by his head. "Mum?"

She scurried past him a knife in one hand, a pie in the other. "Oh Ron, can you hand me that spoon?" she asked as she opened the oven.

"Mum I—"

"Ronald, please, I don't have time. There are a lot of people here and they're all hungry and I just need you to—"

"Mum."

He grasped her arm, looking into her sad, tired eyes. She'd aged in the last year. Gently he removed a fork from her hand and guided her to a chair at the table. "You do not have to feed all these people."

"Of course I do. They're hungry."

"Mum."

She looked up at him and he watched the frenzied look fade from her face. She nodded. "All right."

"Where's Dad?"

"He's outside. On the hill with George."

"Ginny's coming to help you. Stay right here."

He caught Ginny's eye when he reached the yard and saw her head for the kitchen, Hermione close behind. Ron nodded to a few people who had gathered by the gate and headed for the hill. As he began his ascent he saw his father coming down. "He wants to be alone," he said.

"George has never wanted to be alone in his life," Ron said.

His father sighed. "He wants to be alone now son."

He couldn't leave his brother up there by himself. "I won't stay if he tells me to go."

Arthur gripped his shoulder briefly and then continued on toward the house. Ron braced himself and finished the trek to where George was sitting, watching the sun go down. Ron sat next to him. George sniffed and wiped his eyes.

"Remember that time, when Fred blew up the broomshed and nearly burnt the whole house down?" Ron said finally.

"Yeah," George said flatly.

"He'd want us to remember the good times."

"How the hell do you know what Fred would have wanted?" George snapped at him.

"I'm his brother—"

"Yeah well, I'm his twin and I think I bloody well know better than you do what he would want."

"Yeah, yeah I guess you do," Ron said, stung by his brother's words. Fred and George never hesitated to poke fun at anyone, but they weren't vicious. Or at least, they hadn't been.

"Just leave me alone," George said, refusing to look at him even as tears welled in his eyes again.

"If that's what you want, then I will. But Georgie…" Ron swallowed hard. Emotional words like this didn't come naturally. "I don't want to lose you too. Fred being gone is…it's the worst. It's hell. But both of you being gone," he shook his head imagining it, "I don't think we could come back from that."

George scrubbed a hand across his eyes and Ron saw a nearly imperceptible nod. "Yeah."

That was apparently all he was going to get for now. It would have to be enough. "I'm going back in. D'you want to come?"

George shook his head. "Not yet. Soon."

Ron nodded. He'd done all he could. George would have to do the rest on his own.

Back at the house he found Hermione. He took her hand and kissed her cheek. "You've been doing that a lot lately," she said.

"I'm still having a bit of a hard time letting you out of my sight," Ron said. "I can stop if you want me to."

Hermione stood on her tiptoes and kissed him soundly on the mouth. "Don't you dare. How's George?"

Ron shook his head and she seemed to understand that whatever they were all feeling, it couldn't be put into words right now. "How about you? Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

He looked up at the hill where he could just barely make out a single figure where there used to be two. "I hope so."

Hermione squeezed his hand. "Me too."

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A/N: Leave your love in the reviews!


	3. The Dark of the Night

A/N: Chapter three is here folks! In this chapter Ron and Hermione struggle through the early days of a post-Voldemort world and make plans for the future. Enjoy!

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Ron woke in the middle of the night, sheets stuck to his sweaty skin. It seemed he couldn't sleep at all any more without nightmares coming to strangle him. Harry and Hermione were having them too. Hermione had woken the entire house with her screaming two nights before. It was nearly enough to make them forego sleep altogether.

Shaken by his most recent dream, he rose and pulled on his bathrobe. Harry continued to snore in his camp bed as Ron slipped out the door. He'd find a snack in the kitchen to calm himself down before trying to sleep again.

As he passed Ginny's room he realized the door was ajar. Poking his head inside he found Ginny slept soundly, but Hermione's bed was empty.

 _Don't panic, don't panic_ , he repeated silently to himself as he hurried downstairs, wand in his hand. The living room was empty as was the kitchen. He was nearly ready to sound the alarm when he spotted her through the window.

He closed the kitchen door behind him and climbed up the hill at a rapid pace. "'Mione?" he said quietly as he drew close.

Hermione gasped and whirled around, her wand pointing directly at his chest. "Ron! Oh, I'm sorry! You startled me."

She lowered her wand and he got a closer look at her. "Are you crying?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

She turned away from him, wiping her eyes, but he caught her gently by the shoulders, turning her so he could look at her face. She began to sob openly. "I'm sorry. It's very silly really."

Ron grasped her hand. "You're shivering." Pulling out his wand he turned and faced the Burrow. "Accio blanket!"

A moment later a blanket came sailing out his open bedroom window. But it moved slowly and looped and turned unnaturally, finally coming to an abrupt halt only halfway up the hill. Ron looked at Hermione sheepishly. "I always did have trouble with that one. Be right back."

He ran and scooped it up. Returning he draped it around Hermione's shoulders, sitting next to her. "Now, what's all this about?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's fine. It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Hermione," Ron sought her hand. "You can tell me."

"I just…I had a dream about my parents. They didn't remember me, and no matter how hard I tried they just looked at me with these blank faces and said they didn't have a daughter. And it's all ridiculous because of course they won't remember me when I meet them. Not until I lift the charm." Hermione sniffed. "I couldn't go back to sleep so I came out here."

"You nearly gave me a heart attack," Ron said.

"I'm sorry. Why are you up anyway?"

"Nightmare," Ron said, not wishing to elaborate. "Have you decided when you want to go get them?"

" I was thinking about getting a ticket for sometime next week." She looked slightly abashed. "I know it's soon, but I don't want to be away from them any longer than I have to be."

"Ticket?"

"Yes, a ticket for on a plane Ron."

"I know what a ticket is. I'm just wondering why you're only buying one when I'm coming with you."

"Oh, Ron, really that's not—"

"If you seriously think I'm going to let you fly halfway around the world to pick up your hexed parents by yourself, you've lost it," Ron said.

"Thank you," Hermione said softly.

Ron nodded curtly, all business now. "We'll get the tickets tomorrow. Do we need to use the fish net?"

"The what?"

"On the box thingy. You know, with the screen and the rat that moves the little arrow?"

Hermione was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. "What's so funny?" Ron said indignantly.

" You mean the internet. And a mouse is what moves the arrow."

"Right, that's basically what I said."

"Of course it is."

The sun was just peeking over the horizon, setting the sky on fire with color. "C'mon," Ron said. "We'd better get back before someone misses us."

He helped her to her feet and they made their way back to the house. "I'll see you in a few hours," Ron said. He stood uncertainly for the briefest of seconds before leaning in to give her a kiss. Their relationship was still new and they hadn't had a chance to talk much about where it was all going, but it seemed like the right move in the moment given that he'd just agreed to travel the world with her, without Harry in tow this time.

Hermione blushed a bit and smiled shyly. "Goodnight."

Ron opened the door to his own room and was surprised to see Harry sitting up and glaring at him crossly. "What's wrong with you?" Ron asked.

"Well, I was sleeping here, soundly mind you, for a change, when, suddenly, I was very cold and very awake. And when I sat up, do you know what I saw? My blanket, Ron, flying out the window."

"Erm…sorry?" Ron said.

"Give me that." Harry snatched the blanket from Ron's hands and curled up underneath it.

"Right, well, goodnight then," Ron said getting back into his own bed.

Harry grumbled something unintelligible, and Ron sank back into his own bed, his mind on the girl downstairs who'd allowed him to kiss her.


	4. Australia

A/N: Hello all! You have been saying some of the loveliest things to me and I really appreciate it! I'm so glad you're enjoying where I've taken things so far.

I have to be honest, I'm not in love with this chapter (and I know I shouldn't be disparaging my own work), which is why it's taken me a bit to update. I wrote this chapter like...eight years ago so my writing's changed a lot since then and I just couldn't quite get this one to where I want it. I almost left it out. But I feel like it's an important part of the story so here it is. There are definitely some funny moments, so enjoy!

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Hermione could drive. Ron still hadn't gotten over it. "Well of course I can Ron," she'd said crossly. "How else did you think we were getting to the airport?"

In reality Ron hadn't thought about it at all. They'd borrowed a ministry car and Ron had sat mutely in the passenger seat as Hermione drove them, rather aggressively, through city traffic.

The whole experience of getting on airplane had been bizarre. Hermione had explained the process to him, but it still seemed ridiculous. There were electronic machines everywhere. And then their flight had been delayed because of weather, which seemed insane to Ron who had played in Quidditch conditions far more severe.

After Ron had finished playing with his seat back and tray table and they had received their snacks Hermione had fallen into an exhausted sleep on his shoulder. Ginny had told him she'd been up most of the night packing and re-packing her suitcase.

"Sir?"

Ron looked up to see the flight attendant. "Yeah?"

"The in-flight movie is about to start. Would you like some headphones?"

"Headphones?" Ron asked.

The item the lady handed him looked neither like a head nor a phone. She gave him a strange look and demonstrated. "Right, of course." Ron laughed heartily to cover his awkwardness. "Sorry, I'm a little tired. Long flight you know."

The flight attendant gave him a polite smile and quickly moved on. Ron slipped the headphones on. It wasn't long before he was completely absorbed in the movie.

Hermione woke with a start. "What are you watching?" she asked as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"I don't know!" Ron said excitedly. "It's got lasers and people who can do mind things and a guy in a black mask who breathes funny."

Hermione smiled. "It's called Star Wars Ron," she said. "And if you like it so much you should know there are two more of them. Harry's seen them."

"Harry's seen them and he never told me?!" Ron said loudly.

"Shh!" Hermione giggled. "You're too loud."

Ron settled back looking grumpy. "Why did you never tell me muggle stuff was this good?"

" I didn't realize you'd want to know."

After a significant layover in Singapore they got on a second plane and continued onto Sydney. Within forty-five minutes of landing they had collected their luggage, rented a car, and stepped out into the Australian sunshine.

Ron had suggested they take the rest of the day to check into a hotel and relax a bit before heading out to her parent's new home, but Hermione was anxious to get it over with so they drove straight there.

"All right?" Ron asked worriedly.

Hermione had gone very white and Ron was afraid she might faint.

"I'm fine," she said. "This is just going to be a bit tricky."

"It'll go all right," Ron said with more confidence than he felt. In reality this was going to be beyond tricky. If they couldn't manage to lift the charm there would be trouble. If they did and Hermione's parents were furious, there might be even more trouble. But she clearly was having those thoughts on her own so he put on false cheer and attempted to keep her thinking positively.

They stopped in front of the little house, a neat picket fence surrounding the property. "Okay," Hermione took a deep breath. "Let's go."

Just as they started down the front walk something large and orange threw itself at them. "Crookshanks!" Hermione said automatically, grabbing him around his middle. She frowned. "You're not Crookshanks."

The cat did indeed resemble her feline friend, but had a slightly more pleasant disposition and didn't look nearly as intelligent. It would have been quite a feat for Crookshanks to be here anyway since they'd left him safely with Ginny back at the Burrow, although honestly, Ron wouldn't have been terribly surprised. That cat managed to show up in the strangest of places.

"Fluffy! Come here kitty!" The front door opened and a man strode outside.

Hermione nearly dropped the cat.

Ron saw that he was going to have to take over. "Hello," Mr. Granger said. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, er, our car just broke down. Do you think we could use your phone?" Ron improvised.

"Certainly," Mr. Granger said, leading the way inside. "Sorry about the cat."

"Wendell?" Mrs. Granger appeared as they entered the living room. "What's going on?"

"Their car broke down," Mr. Granger explained. "I'll just go get you the phone."

Tears began to trickle down Hermione's face. "Is everything all right?" Mrs. Granger asked cautiously.

"She, er, really loves the car," Ron said, pulling Hermione to the sofa and forcing her to sit down.

"Oh you poor thing. How about some tea, dears?" Mrs. Granger bustled off to the kitchen without waiting for an answer.

"Hermione, you have to pull it together," Ron said as soon as they were alone. "You have to do it when they come back. You know I'm terrible at lying. I can't keep this up much longer."

Hermione sniffed and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry."

She pulled her wand out of her bag as both Grangers came around the corner. "Here we—what's that?" Mr. Granger asked warily, his eyes landing on the wand in his daughter's hand.

"Do it now!" Ron hissed.

There was a blinding flash of light. Mrs. Granger screamed and dropped the tea tray with a loud crash.

Then everything was quiet. "Mum?" Hermione said carefully, watching her mother's face.

"Hermione? What…where are we?" Mrs. Granger asked, her eyes wide with confusion.

Hermione hurled her body at her mother, sobbing as she wrapped her in an embrace. Mr. Granger had put a hand to his head and was looking a bit bewildered. "What's happened?" he asked. "Ronald?"

"Hello Mr. Granger," Ron said.

The afternoon was one of the longest of Ron's life. The Granger's memories seemed to be returning somewhat slowly as they pieced together their life before Australia with all they had known for the last year.

Hermione filled them in on bits of the last few months, though Ron noticed she seemed to be glossing over quite a lot. He guessed when your parents were muggles there was a lot they weren't going to understand about magic. And he suspected Hermione simply didn't want them to know how difficult it had been.

They still seemed a bit confused some hours later when they had finished dinner and got ready to turn in for the night. Hermione slept in the guest room and Ron on the couch. It was somewhat startling to have Fluffy the cat pounce on him at 2:00am, but overall he was very comfortable.

They spent several more days with the Grangers before they got back on a plane for home. Hermione's parents promised to follow when they could. They'd built a life in a new country and it would take time to untangle it all. Ron didn't say anything to Hermione, but he wasn't completely convinced the Grangers were coming back at all. They seemed very content in their new surroundings and not altogether happy with they way their daughter had handled things.

By the time they got off the plane they were both grouchy and tired. It was a great surprise, and therefore not an altogether welcome one, to find Harry and Ginny waiting at the gate for them. Ginny was waving wildly and calling their names.

Ron and Hermione trudged toward them. Hermione dropped her bags and threw her arms around Harry, sobbing. "I take it things didn't go well?" Harry asked, gently patting her on the back.

"Oh no it was all fine. Mum and Dad Granger are all fixed up and ready to go," Ron said grumpily.

Ginny glared at her brother suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"Ron called Crookshanks fat and ugly!" Hermione said with a hiccup.

"Well, I'm sure he didn't mean it," Harry said.

"Yes he did! You know he did!"

"Er, yeah," Harry said. "Help me!" He mouthed to Ginny over Hermione's shoulder.

Ginny pried Hermione off of her boyfriend. "Come on Hermione. Let's go home and you can tell us all about what a prat my brother is."

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A/N: Leave your love in the reviews!


	5. Fifty

A/N: This is the chapter that made me realize writing Ginny is a DELIGHT. She is super sassy and fun and you will definitely be seeing more of her! Meanwhile, enjoy the perils of a dating Ron and Hermione.

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"Do you think I look all right?" Hermione asked the question for the fourth time as she gazed at herself in the mirror.

Ginny forced a smile onto her face. "You look wonderful."

Ron had finally plucked up the courage the day before to, haltingly, and with mumbled words, ask Hermione to dinner. She had stammered back something in the affirmative while Ginny and Harry watched in bemusement at their friends' lack of ability to be normal in any sense of the word.

Hermione shook her head. "I think I'd better change. What if Ron doesn't like it?"

"He'll like it."

"I don't know…"

"Hermione. Ron has seen you covered in dirt, slime, blood, and a half dozen other substances too disgusting to describe. None of that has ever mattered to him. You look gorgeous. No stop mucking around up here and go downstairs!"

"Right okay, yes of course you're right."

Hermione's hands fluttered anxiously over her hair and Ginny rolled her eyes. "Go!"

Ron paced anxiously at the bottom of the staircase. His mother had nearly cried when he came down in the new jumper she'd made him last week. He'd outgrown all the others except for one and it was in a sad state after a year away. At his request she'd left off the requisite "R" that usually adorned the front. " _She already knows my name Mum!"_

Mercifully his father had taken her away quickly. Unfortunately that had left him a lot of time to pace and worry. He'd been waiting nearly fifteen minutes when Hermione finally emerged, shoved by Ginny judging by the way she nearly fell down the first three stairs.

Ron could do nothing but stare. The lilac color of her jumper made her eyes sparkle and the boots she was wearing were…well they were bloody sexy.

"Say something," Hermione said nervously.

"You look…great," Ron said, finally coming to his senses. "Nice boots. Are they dragon hide?"

Hermione nodded. "Ginny picked them out. Are they too much? I can go change."

"No!" Ron said it quickly. If she went back upstairs she might never come back down again. "No, they're perfect. You're perfect."

She blushed in pleasure and he took her hand. "Come on. Let's go."

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Two hours later they stormed back into the Burrow. "You're being ridiculous!" Ron shouted.

She whirled around, pointing a finger at his chest. "No you're being ridiculous!"

"Well…fine!"

"Fine!"

Ron thumped off to Harry's room and Hermione to Ginny's. She slammed the door behind her and collapsed onto her bed.

Ginny slowly put down the book she'd been reading. "What happened?"

"What happened is, your brother's a complete prat!" Hermione huffed into her pillow.

"You've known that for years. Walk me through tonight."

"Well we got there and it was lovely and then I told him to put his napkin in his lap."

"You what?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"Told him to put his napkin in his lap." Hermione moaned and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. "I don't know what came over me. Then he got all red and embarrassed and told me I wasn't his mum and why couldn't I just be normal for once?"

"Oh Merlin." Ginny shook her head, realizing where this was going.

"Everything just went downhill from there," Hermione said gloomily. "It was awful. I don't even remember what we ate. He's so pig-headed!"

"Glad you've finally realized that."

"I can't believe I told him to put his napkin in his lap."

"I can. You're a bit bossy Hermione."

"This is all so ridiculous. Why can't we just be normal? Why does everything have to turn into a giant row?"

"Because the two of you are nutters," Ginny said wisely.

"What is wrong with me? Why can't we just have one night? Why can't we have one conversation that doesn't end with the two of us ripping each other apart?" She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to breathe around the pain building in her heart. "Maybe we're not a good idea after all."

"All right," Ginny snapped, getting to her feet. "Get up."

Hermione looked at her, startled. "What?"

"Up. Let's go."

Ginny was already at the door and Hermione hurried to keep up. "Where are we going?" she asked as she followed Ginny up the stairs. They didn't stop outside the twins' room or Percy's instead continuing all the way up to Ron's attic bedroom. "Ginny—"

Ginny continued to ignore her and banged loudly on the door not bothering to wait for a response before barging into the room. "Harry, get out."

Harry paused only briefly before saying, "Okay," and getting up from where he was sprawled out on a camp bed.

Ron was staring at his sister from his spot on his own bed clearly confused. "Gin, what the hell?"

"Listen to me. Harry and I are not going to put up with this rowing shit for the next fifty years. So the two of you stay in here until you figure it out. Bickering is one thing but this full on fighting has got to stop. Work. It. Out."

With that she slammed the door effectively sealing Ron and Hermione inside alone. They looked at one another in surprise for a moment but Ron got over it quickly and laid back down, grabbing a comic from beside his bed, clearly still grouchy about their argument. Hermione felt her spine stiffen and put her hands on her hips. "Really? You're just going to sit there and look at comics instead of talking to me?"

"Well you've already made it clear that I have no manners so I may as well just keep living up to those expectations," he said irritably.

"Ron," she sighed and sank down onto Harry's bed, "I'm sorry. When I get nervous I…I don't know what to do. So I just act."

He glanced at her over the top of his comic. "I make you nervous?"

"Well…yes. I mean not all the time. But sometimes you look at me and I remember how much I," she blushed, "how much I like you. And I want you to like me. And I get flustered."

He set the comic down and sat up. "Hermione I always like you."

She snorted. "You do not."

"Yes I do! Why do you think I turn into such a blubbering idiot around you? You don't see me doing that around Harry right? You…you're special Hermione. And I want you to think that I am too."

"I do," she said quickly. "Ron I do. You make me feel like the smartest person on earth. You make me so happy. No one else has ever made me feel the way you do."

His ears turned red. "You make me happy too," he said. "Really happy."

She reached for his hands and he obliged, intertwining his fingers with hers. "If we're going to do this for fifty years, I don't want us to fight all the time," she said tentatively. "I can't."

He nodded. "I know. Me neither."

She got a determined look in her eye. "Ron Weasley, you are the most logical, intuitive, caring wizard I have ever met. There, I've said it, so no matter what happens you just look back on this moment and remember that. That's how I feel and nothing is going to change it."

He chuckled. "All right then. Hermione Granger, you are the smartest and bravest witch I've ever met. I've always known that."

"Good," she said firmly. "Now we've got that all out of the way and every time we get close to rowing we will just think of this and remember that we like each other."

"Works for me," he said with a grin.

"Fifty years is an awfully long time. Do you really think we'd make it that long?" Hermione asked, half joking. It seemed a little crazy to be thinking so far into the future. But if the war had taught her anything it was that tomorrow wasn't certain, and love couldn't bring back those you'd lost. If you asked her at this moment, she'd spend every single day of the rest of her life with Ron Weasley, through arguments and tears and wars alike.

"No."

"What?" She looked at him in surprise, a little hurt. He'd come back with that awfully fast.

"I give us thirty until you set another pack of birds on me and take me out for good," he said with a smile.

She smiled back, her heart full of that special feeling that only Ron gave her. Right now fifty years didn't seem unreasonable at all.

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A/N: Ah young love. These two give me the feels guys, even after all this time. Leave your love in the reviews!


	6. Moving On

A/N: Well hello! Long time, no chapter! Sorry about that. I wish I could promise to update this fic more regularly but...I can't. I have lots of chapters written but they require pretty heavy editing and sometimes they just sit because I can't figure out what to do with them. Fun fact: There was supposed to be another chapter before this one but I completely scrapped it. It just wasn't working and that stalled me out for a bit. This chapter isn't perfect, but I wrote it like seven years ago, so I think I'm just going to let it sit the way it is and embrace how far my writing has come since then. Enjoy!

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"Ginny," Hermione said as she buttered her toast, "do you want to go Diagon Alley tomorrow for school supplies?"

"Sure," Ginny said. "Mum, is that all right?"

"I suppose we could make that work." Mrs. Weasley set down a platter of sausages. "Could you take a hamper to George for me?"

"Of course," Hermione said.

"Boys are you going too?" Molly asked as she turned back to the kitchen sink.

It was then that Hermione noticed both boys staring at her. "Yes?" she asked.

Ron spoke first. "Why do you need school supplies?"

"For _Hogwarts_." Ginny emphasized her words as if she were talking to a child. "Really Ron, I know you were away for a year but you can't tell me you've forgotten how school works."

Ron shoved his chair back from the table so quickly it made the plates rattle. "Hermione, can I talk to you?"

He exited the kitchen, clearly expecting her to follow. Hermione exchanged a bemused look with Ginny and then followed him into the living room.

"You need school supplies," Ron said.

"Yes."

"You're going back to school."

"Yes, of course." She stared at him puzzled. What in the world had come over him?

"You, Hermione Granger, the smartest witch to ever walk through Hogwarts, who faced Bellatrix Lestrange, who destroyed horcruxes, is going back to school."

"Yes Ron! What is the problem?" Hermione asked in exasperation.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you going back?" He practically shouted it.

"Because we spent our seventh year running around Britain instead of in a classroom where we belonged!"

"Yes and saved the entire world several times over, which would indicate that we already good enough at magic and don't need to go back."

"It's not about needing to, it's about wanting to."

"We just spent an entire year fighting the darkest wizard of all time! You were tortured for Merlin's sake! Don't you think we deserve a break?"

"Of course Ron! But we've had time off and the truth is, I just want things to be normal again. I like school. I want to finish my education so I can have the career I want. Hang on." Now it was her turn to stare. "Why are you acting as if you're not going to be there?"

Ron spluttered. "Hermione! I'm not going back and Harry's definitely not going back."

His words froze her. It hadn't occurred to her that Ron and Harry might not go back to school, just as it clearly hadn't occurred to Ron that she would. His confusion now made sense.

"Why not? What are you going to do instead?" Her throat felt tight as she asked, her heart beginning a rapid tattoo in her chest.

"I don't know! You know I've never been any good at school though. I don't know what I'll do. Why do we have to do anything?"

"Things can't stay like this indefinitely can they, all of us just lying around here at the Burrow for days on end? Life has to go on at some point," she pointed out.

"Why not?" Ron looked slightly crestfallen.

"Ron, Harry and I can't stay here forever. And neither can you and Ginny. We've spent the last seven years helping Harry. And I don't regret it at all because along the way, I found you. But now for the first time, I feel like I need to go find myself."

She didn't even realize she'd said the words until they were past her lips. The last seven years of her life had been spent worrying about Harry, taking care of Harry, making sure Harry was all right. And now that he was, now that they all were, she felt a desperate longing to do what she'd set out to do at eleven years old and conquer the magical world just as she'd conquered the muggle one. She needed to figure out her future. She needed to figure out herself.

"So, where does that leave us?" Ron asked, his voice slightly choked. "Do you want to break up with me?"

"No!" Hermione's eyes widened in fear. "Oh Ron no! Please don't say that. You're the only good thing that's happened to me this year! Please don't even say that!"

Her stomach felt sick and she knew she was breathing too fast, but she couldn't stop the panic that coursed through her. She was barely processing that she'd be going back to school alone and the thought of breaking things off with Ron completely made her dizzy. It felt like the night he'd stormed out of the tent all over again, when she'd thought the world was over and she'd never feel safe again.

"Hermione, Hermione it's okay!" Ron said in alarm, sitting her down on the sofa. "Breathe. We're not breaking up. I promise. I'm sorry. Please stop crying. Let's talk about this."

"All right." She wiped her eyes and looked up at him blearily.

"If you want to go back to school, then you should go," Ron said softly, twining a hand with hers. "I just don't want to be away from you."

"I don't want to leave you either. But if you're really not going back…I guess we have to." She swallowed hard. "All of us. It's time to move on."

Ron swallowed, looking down at their intertwined hands. "I know. Harry's been exchanging owls with Kingsley almost every day. Everyone's moving on except me. I guess I just don't feel quite ready yet."

"I'm not sure you're ever going to feel ready Ron. You just have to do it. And if we all help each other, it won't be so bad."

"I'm already losing you to your parents next week. You're honestly telling me I have to live without you for an entire year?"

Her parents had finished up things in Australia and were returning home to reopen the dental practice. She'd decided it was the least she could do to go and help them out a bit since she was the reason they'd had to close it in the first place. "It won't be a year. There'll be Hogsmeade weekends and the holidays. We'll hardly even notice," she said bravely.

"Somehow I doubt that." He looked sad and Hermione had a wild moment where she thought perhaps she wouldn't go back to school after all.

There was the sound of a throat clearing behind them and Ginny's head poked around the corner. "Is it safe to come in?"

"Yes," Hermione told her, going to disentangle her hands from Ron's but he held on tightly.

Ginny pulled Harry in warily behind her. "Hermione, Mum wants to see us about the hamper for George."

Hermione moved to get up but Ron tightened his grip further. "Ron let go," she said gently. "I promise I'll come back."

Ron let go reluctantly and the girls vanished. "So," Harry said after a moment in his _I'm trying not to get involved but I'm very curious_ voice, "everything all right?"

"Yeah," Ron said. There was no point in hiding it. The Burrow wasn't a place where secrets were easily kept when the walls were paper thin. "Yeah I guess. I just hadn't realized how ready everyone was to move on. You're not going back to school, right?"

"No." Harry looked nervous now. "I've er, been meaning to talk to you about that."

Ron sat up fully. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, you know I've been writing Kingsley."

Ron nodded and Harry continued cautiously. "He's pretty much offered me a job. As an auror. They seem to think I'm well qualified."

Ron blinked. "Wow. Well, that's great. That's perfect for you."

"Right, well thanks. And on top of that, I've decided to move back in to Grimmauld Place. I mean, I can't stay here forever and Kreacher can make a decent meal now so it seems like it's time," Harry continued in a rush. "And I was wondering if you'd want to come with me?"

Ron stared at him blankly. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Er, do you want to come live at Grimmauld Place with me? It's just that it's an awfully big house and it wouldn't exactly feel right to be there alone."

"Are you sure?" Ron asked. "I wouldn't want to be in the way or anything."

Harry rolled his eyes. "If we survived a year in a tent I reckon we can stand each other in a house where we'll have our own bedrooms."

"Well, yeah," Ron suddenly felt like this was a brilliant plan. "All right then. Let's do it."

They grinned at each other as the girls came back into the room. "What are you two so happy about?" Hermione asked.

"Harry and I are moving into Grimmauld Place," Ron said excitedly.

"Are you getting married too then?" Ginny asked rolling her eyes at her brother's enthusiasm. "Because honestly that's going to put a wrench in our relationship Harry."

Ron threw a pillow at her, which she easily deflected. "Hermione and I are going to Diagon tomorrow at 8:00," she told them airily. And Mum just realized you're not going back to school. She's not happy." Ginny looked at Harry. "With either one of you."

"Why'd you go and do that then?" Ron asked in outrage.

"I didn't tell her, you've been yelling about it in here for ten minutes," Ginny said.

"Ronald! Harry! I'd like a word please!" Molly's voice rang through the house and Ron jumped from his seat, pulling Hermione with him. "If we run fast enough she might not catch us."

Hermione let him pull her outside. They ran toward the lake and collapsed breathless by its banks. "Sh!" Ron said, listening. "I don't hear her. D'you reckon she'll come all the way down here?"

"You should just talk to her Ron," Hermione said.

"Easy for you to say," Ron groused. "You and Ginny are going back to school. Harry basically has a job. I'm just Ron, the family disappointment once again."

"I hate when you say things like that," Hermione said immediately, her face serious.

"Well it's the truth."

"No it's not! Nothing about you is disappointing Ron, not a single thing and you have to stop believing that," she said vehemently. "Your family is proud of what you did this year. They are proud of the way you stood by Harry, by everyone during the battle. They are proud of the way you sacrificed yourself to save others." Her eyes locked with his. "And I am too."

He moved swiftly and before she knew it he was kissing her. Almost before she could react he was pulling away. "Sorry I—was that all right?" he asked worriedly.

She grabbed his face and kissed him back. It was the first time they'd kissed since the Room of Requirement, which, as Hermione remembered it, had been rather excellent. And this kiss was even better.

A part of her mind knew she should be packing, should be making lists, and preparing to depart the Burrow soon. But desire was quickly overruling all of that as she and Ron tumbled back onto the grass, still kissing quite ardently.

Their time together was short after all.

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A/N: Leave your love in the reviews!


	7. School Supplies

A/N: Okay. I am aware that I am the absolute worst and I haven't updated this in like a million months. The good news is that one of my goals for the New Year is to update this much more often. So all I can say is I'm sorry and I'm hoping to do better by this one and hopefully some of you are still interested in reading it. Also I still love writing Ginny and her sass. It's amazing.

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Hermione and Ginny were standing by the fireplace when Ron hurried down the stairs the next morning. "Oh good," he said when he saw them. "Are you ready then?"

They both stared at him. "Ready for what?" Hermione finally asked.

"To go to Diagon," Ron said, grabbing a handful of floo powder. "I'm coming too."

"You are?" Ginny asked.

"I need to talk to George. Don't worry. I won't bother you."

With that he stepped into the fireplace and disappeared. "What in the world?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said in confusion.

Ginny glared at Ron suspiciously as they strode down the alleyway. "Why do you need to see George?" she asked.

"Is it a crime to want to see my brother?" Ron asked. "Why don't you just go set up my cell in Azkaban?"

"A year in a tent did strange things to you," she said.

Ron ignored her and turned to Hermione, reaching for her hand. "I'll see you back at the Burrow tonight."

Hermione was looking at him curiously, eyes searching his face for some kind of answer, but he was locked up tight. "All right."

Ginny tugged on Hermione's sleeve, trying to steer her in the direction of Madam Malkin's so let Ron let her go. Hermione cast another look back at him as they walked through the door. "What could he possibly be doing?" Hermione asked as they waited for their turn.

Ginny wrinkled her nose. "He didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Oh." Ginny shrugged. "Probably buying chocolate frogs or Bertie's or something."

"He seemed awfully serious to just be buying candy." Hermione stepped up and let the seamstress begin pinning things in place. "Do you think everything's all right?"

"You'd know better than me," Ginny said. "You're the one he's snogging."

Hermione felt herself blush. They'd tried to be subtle about their relationship, and were definitely succeeding far better than Ginny and Harry who were extremely physical, but there had been a few times that someone had walked through the door unexpectedly and caught them kissing. It wasn't that she was embarrassed exactly, she just liked for some things to remain private. Just between Ron and herself.

As the seamstress continued to tuck and lengthen bits of robe Hermione's thoughts wandered down the alley. Why wouldn't Ron have told her what he was up to? Had he told Harry? She'd thought they were getting on so well and now here he was keeping secrets.

She shook herself mentally. This wasn't a productive line of thought. Ron would tell her when he was ready. She was sure of it. But that didn't stop the gnawing ache of worry from settling into the pit of her stomach.

Ron didn't see the girls again until dinner that night. Everyone was crowded around the table tucking into the meal as if they hadn't eaten in weeks.

Ron pushed his food around his plate, his stomach clenching in his gut. "You're not eating," Hermione said."Are you all right?"

She looked upset and he wondered if she was mad he'd been avoiding her. He'd locked himself up in his room and laid on his bed processing the events of the day. "Yeah," he mustered up a smile, forced as it was. "I'm great."

They had just started on their pudding and Ron knew his time was running short. If he was going to do something it needed to be now before he lost his nerve. "I have something to say," he said quickly, getting to his feet. He hadn't meant to stand but apparently his nerves weren't going to let him do this like a normal person.

Hermione stared at him, her spoon frozen halfway to her mouth. His mother looked equally shocked. "Er, I talked to George today and he's agreed to let me work with him in the shop. So starting in September, that's what I'll be doing. I'll be there. In Hogsmeade. Working."

With that he dropped back into his chair. He could feel his ears burning in the silence that followed his announcement. Then his mother burst into tears. "My baby boy is all grown up!"

"Mum!" This was absolutely not the reaction he'd wanted. He'd been through a bloody war after all. Apparently that didn't qualify him as an adult in her eyes.  
"How did you convince George to let you do that?" Bill asked.

"It wasn't hard," Ron said, his leg still jumping nervously under the table. He couldn't even look at Hermione, terrified of what she might think. "Verity's getting married so she wants fewer hours. It's cheaper to hire me than some stranger."

"Well…congratulations Ron," Harry said, although Ron felt it was a bit stiff and there was an odd expression on his friend's face.

But then Hermione reached for his hand under the table and he turned to look at her. She was the one he'd most wanted to understand, to see that he too was moving on and growing up. "Congratulations," she said softly. "You'll be brilliant."

He felt relief flood him and nearly sagged in his seat. "Thanks."

"You were worried?" she asked, amused.

"Well it's just, everyone else has all these plans and I just didn't want to seem…pathetic."

"You're not pathetic Ron. I'm very proud of you. George needs you right now."

"Yeah," he felt a rush of pleasure at her confirmation of him. "I think I need him too."

Harry was oddly silent toward him for the rest of the evening. Finally Ron could take it no longer. "Everything all right?" he asked as they readied for bed.

"Yeah."

That was an obvious lie. "All right then." Ron rolled his eyes and continued making up his bed with the clean sheets his mother had laundered earlier in the day.

"It's just, I always thought you wanted to be an auror too," Harry said, watching him.

"I do," Ron said.

"Oh," Harry looked even more confused. "Then why are you going to work with George? You know if I ask Kingsley he'll take you too in a heartbeat."

"I uh, I don't think I'm ready yet," Ron said, sitting down on his own bed. "I need some time to clear my head. I'm not a great, dark wizard destroyer like you are. My track record's a bit more spotty."

Harry shrugged. "I guess I just thought you would be there to watch my back. Not sure how I feel about starting something without you."

With the exception of that god-awful time during their fourth year, and then when he'd abandoned them on the hunt last fall, they'd done very little without one another. He'd always been there for Harry and as they stared down the barrel of their first real separation it was clear neither of them had considered how they might feel being split apart.

"Hermione was telling me yesterday that she's going back to Hogwarts because she needs to find herself. I think I need to do the same thing. We love being your friend Harry, but I don't want to be just Harry Potter's best mate. I want to be me. Whoever that is."

"Yeah, yeah I get it." Harry looked a bit despondent. "I think I'm going to turn in."

"Do you still want me to live at Grimmauld?" Ron asked, suddenly nervous that he'd done something very wrong. He'd become an Auror tomorrow if it would keep Harry from being upset.

"Of course I do," Harry said quickly. "Someone's got to be there in case Kreacher accidentally poisons me."

Ron smiled. "You got it mate."

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A/N: Anybody still here? If so, leave your love in the reviews!


	8. The Parting

A/N: I have been puttering around on this chapter all week and I just have to decide it's done. Thanks to all who reviewed that last chapter, I'm so glad some of you have stuck around! Enjoy!

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"Where is she?" Ron asked, searching Platform 9 ¾ in increasing desperation as the seconds ticked by.

"She'll be here," Harry said reassuringly, though his eyes were locked on Ginny in a way that made Ron want to squirm.

Three weeks had elapsed since Hermione left the Burrow to spend time with her parents, leaving them with a promise to meet them on the platform on September 1st. But she had yet to make an appearance, making Ron anxious and unsettled as he tried to spot her in the crowd.

Ron sighed and leaned back against the wall, trying not to look at his sister and best mate who'd begun saying a rather enthusiastic goodbye a bit closer to him than he would have liked. His parents had already left, otherwise he was certain they would have broken up the prolonged snog-fest by now.

The train whistle blew and Ginny disentangled herself from Harry. "By boys! See you in Hogsmeade!"

She waved as she jumped aboard. "No Hermione?" Harry asked, looking slightly concerned.

Ron shook his head, his gut clenching in disappointment. "We must have missed her."

"Ron! Harry!"

Ron felt his heart lurch at the sound of her voice and turned to find her running toward them. She flew into his arms, nearly knocking him over. "I've missed you." Ron's voice was thick and he pulled her to him fiercely.

"I'm sorry. Mum and Dad were running late and then-"

"It doesn't matter. You're here now."

He kissed her as the whistle blew a final time and then forced himself to let go, feeling like he might tear in half. Three weeks apart and now only seconds together; it was almost too much to bear. He didn't even want to think about how a month or more was going to feel. "Go! Hurry!"

She threw her arms around Harry in a brief hug and then ran for the train. "I'll send you an owl tonight!" she called over her shoulder.

They watched until the train pulled out and disappeared into the countryside. "Weird not to be on it, yeah?" Harry said.

"Yeah."

The platform was oddly quiet as family members began drifting back into King's Cross. Even before he'd been the one going to Hogwarts, dropping off his brothers had always been a full family affair and his mother had bustled them away as soon as the train began pulling out. He'd never imagined what it was like to be the one left behind and he wasn't sure he liked it.

* * *

Hermione's hands trembled a bit as she stepped aboard the train and searched for Ginny's compartment. She was going back to Hogwarts. At long last all would be right with the world again.

She stumbled as the train began to move and then turned to look out the window, hoping to catch one last glimpse of Ron and Harry but the train was moving quickly and she couldn't find them in the crowd.

As the countryside began to roll past the enormity of the situation finally hit her. She'd left them behind. She'd never left them behind before. Her breath caught in her throat and her head went slightly dizzy with panic. Would they be all right without her? Would she be all right without them?

"Hermione!"

Ginny stuck her head out of a compartment and waved. Hermione shuffled along with Crookshanks' carrying case. Luna sat next to Ginny, her blonde hair twisted into a messy plait and decorated with some sort of leafy green plant. "We thought you'd missed it," Ginny said as Hermione settled down opposite them.

"Mum and Dad were running late." She didn't mention the huge row they'd had this morning that had left her mother in tears. Her parents had been subtly hinting for the last three weeks that perhaps she shouldn't go back to Hogwarts; they had plenty of job opportunities at the practice or they'd find her something else if she'd like. Their subtleness had disappeared with the sunrise when her father flat out told her that he didn't want her going back. Not for the first time she'd had to stand up for herself and insist that she most certainly was, wizarding wars be damned. She was finishing school and no one was going to stop her. "How are you Luna?"

Luna had filled out a bit over the summer, looking more like the girl Hermione knew and less like the haunted waif she'd been when they'd found her at Malfoy Manor. But when she met Hermione's eyes there was something a little different there; something a bit more worldly and solid. It seemed the war had changed everyone.

"I'm well thank you," Luna said. "Daddy's doing well; we spent all summer fixing things up so the Quibbler will be printing again soon."

Hermione felt a twinge of guilt as she remembered the destruction they'd left in Luna's home. Even with magic it couldn't have been an easy repair. "Well that's wonderful," she said.

Something rattled against the door of compartment and Hermione looked up sharply just in time to see several heads duck below the window. "Hermione," Ginny said softly and Hermione looked down to find her knuckles white, her wand pointed directly at the door. She loosened her grip and tried to calm down. Would there ever be a time that she didn't clutch it in fear at the slightest sound?

"They're just first years," Ginny told her.

"What on earth are they doing?" she asked.

"It was like that all over the platform. You must have missed it because you were late. Everyone's staring and whispering. Apparently we're a bit famous," Ginny said.

"That's ridiculous," Hermione said. "Half the school was in the battle."

"But we were part of the DA. And you're best friends with the Chosen One."

"You're his girlfriend."

"People seem slightly less interested in that," Ginny said with a frown. "I get the feeling a few of them would like to do me in and take my place."

"That would be very inconsiderate," Luna said solemnly.

"I have to patrol the train soon," Hermione said, her Head Girl badge already pinned to her jumper. "It's going to be awfully difficult if they're all in the way like this."

"Better get used to it," Ginny said. "It'll wear off eventually, but probably not before we get to school."

As Hermione patrolled the train an hour later with Robert Myerling, an extremely cheerful Hufflepuff boy who'd been a frequent library visitor like herself, she found herself resenting the wide eyed stares and awed whispers. It was uncomfortable to have a spotlight shining on her this way. This wasn't exactly what she'd expected upon returning, in fact it had never crossed her mind that she would feel anything other than deliriously happy. Instead she felt anxious and unnerved.

She wished she could skip the feast and go straight to the tower, but she had duties to see to, most of which involved herding the first years this way and that, making sure no one got left behind on a moving staircase and drying up the few tears she saw.

By the time she reached her bed it was nearly midnight. The restoration efforts had been immense, but parts of the castle were still badly damaged meaning it was trickier than usual to get around and she'd actually gotten lost for a moment before turning a corner and realizing she was near the Astronomy tower, not the Charms classrooms like she'd thought.

Ginny was already asleep along with the other seventh year girls who would share the room this year. None of the girls in her own year had returned, which meant it was a whole new group sharing the space. Hermione knew who they all were of course, but she'd never had much time for anyone outside of her own year besides Ginny. The boys were a lot of work.

She changed quickly and got into bed, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep and try to get rid of the headache that had begun pounding in her temples, but she forced herself to reach for a bit of parchment instead.

 _Hello boys!_

 _I cannot believe I'm finally back! It feels almost as if I never left, other than that you're not here of course. Head Girl duties are keeping me on my toes, but everything is going well. I gave the first years a tour of the castle, which seems to be back together nicely. A few things still need some work but I'm sure they'll be done in short order. Looking forward to the start of classes. Missing you both bunches!_

 _-Hermione_

She'd promised the boys she would send it tonight, but she was too exhausted to attempt finding an owl. She would post it in the morning after breakfast. She extinguished her wand and laid down in her bed, closing her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek. She didn't care that all wasn't quite as she'd hoped; she was going to finish. That was all that mattered.

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A/N: Poor Hermione. It's like first year all over again. Seventh year might not work out quite the way she hoped. More coming soon! Leave your love in the reviews!


	9. Hogsmeade Weekend

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. Enjoy!

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By the last week of October the air was crisp and cool, the leaves becoming a riot of color on the trees. How different this October was than the previous year. "Ron! Owl!" George yelled from the office upstairs.

The shop was thriving, especially with the slow return of other shops to the alley. George seemed pleased at the increase in business and Ron thought he seemed to like having his brother around too. They'd started up mail orders to Hogwarts again and there had become quite the clamor for authentic Wheezes merchandise, so much so that they were often sold out of the more popular items, which meant long days filling orders and working up new products.

"Just a minute!" Ron yelled back. "Amanda, can you come watch the counter?"

Ron saw their new assistant settled behind the register and then hurried up the stairs to find one of the Hogwarts school owls perched on his desk. "Thanks," he said as he untied the parchment. His heart leapt at the sight of Hermione's writing and he scrambled to unseal it.

 _Ron,_

 _Hogsmeade this weekend. Meet me at the Hog's Head at noon?"_

 _-Hermione_

It was the shortest note she'd ever sent but Ron tried not to dwell on what that might mean as he scribbled a reply and attached it to the owl's leg. It hooted softly and flew out of the window, carrying his reply out into the evening.

He hadn't seen Hermione since the train had pulled out and every second was more painful than the last. They'd exchanged letters nearly daily at first. For all his inability to write to her in his younger years he now found that he seemed to run out of parchment before he'd told her half the things he wanted to. They'd never been apart for so long and he was aching to see her.

Usually Hermione wrote pages as well, but lately her letters had been shorter and more infrequent, meaning he was scrounging for information from Ginny's letters to Harry in between owls.

Ron got back to Grimmauld Place after Harry that night. The house was clean and tidy with Kreacher running things and Harry had even managed a tricky little spell to get Mrs. Black's portrait to shut up. It had really begun to feel like home. "Hey," he said dropping his bag on the table and collapsing onto the bench across from Harry.

"Hey," Harry said, already sitting at the kitchen table. "Let's eat. Kreacher made shepherd's pie."

Ron took a forkful. He'd missed lunch because a huge order had come in and they'd needed all hands on deck to package things up. "Did you get an owl from Ginny today?"

"Yeah," Harry said between mouthfuls. "Hogsmeade next weekend?"

"I'll be there."

"Ron," Harry said, putting down his fork and looking serious. "Have you heard from Ginny lately?"

"Only what you've told me. I figured she was saving all her parchment for love letters to you," he teased.

Harry didn't take the bait. "Has Hermione said anything about school? How she's doing?"

"She's Hermione. She sounds like she's doing bloody amazing." The niggle of worry that had been in the back of his mind for weeks began to grow and Ron tried to shove it away.

"Ginny says she's working really hard."

"She always works hard."

"Harder than normal."

"Well she did miss a year. I'm sure she's worried that she's behind."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it." Harry shrugged and went back to his dinner.

Ron took another bite, forcing it past the lump in his throat. Hermione was driven, that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. He was sure she was in her element back among her books. Surely that was the reason for her short letters and Ginny's concern. Besides, he was going to Hogsmeade this weekend and he could see for himself that his worries were completely unfounded.

* * *

He gripped his butterbeer and looked out the window for the twelfth time. "She'll be here," Aberforth grunted from behind the bar.

"I know," Ron said. "She's just really late though. Ginny got here half an hour ago."

"She'll be here."

It was then that Ron finally spotted her. He stood up quickly, spilling the rest of his drink all over the table. He sent Aberforth a guilty smile. "Sorry."

The bartender just shook his head and grabbed a rag as Ron hurried out the door. "Hermione!" He waved until she saw him and then broke into a jog, anxious to be close to her.

He wrapped his arms around her and was immediately shocked by how thin she felt. They'd all lost weight during their year on the run, but she felt even frailer now than she had then.

It was a long moment before they broke apart. "I missed you," she said.

Ron studied her face, several shades paler than he remembered. There were dark circles under her eyes and he felt the worry in his heart grow exponentially.

"I missed you too," he said.

"I'm sorry I was late. I was in the—"

"Library." Ron finished the sentence for her, smiling so she'd know he wasn't angry.

She gave him a tired smile. "Right. And I lost track of time."

"It's all right. I was just starting to get worried."

"You could have sent a patronus."

"With my luck it probably would have told you I never wanted to see you again."

They strolled around for a bit. Ron told her about the business and she chatted about her classes, the amount of homework, how Ginny had been managing as captain of the Quidditch team.

"You look tired," Ron finally said over butterbeer at Madam Rosmerta's. "Are you feeling all right?"

"You're as bad as Ginny," Hermione said. "I'm fine Ron. NEWTs are hard work."

"Ginny hasn't been skipping meals," Ron said pointedly.

"I haven't been skipping meals."

He raised his eyebrows. "Often," she admitted. "Just the occasional lunch or dinner. You miss a lot when you're out a year. And if it's one less person the house elves have to serve, I don't see that as a bad thing."

"Hermione, forget about the bloody house elves," he said. "You need to eat. I'm worried about your health here and all you can talk about is elves!"

"For your information Ronald," Hermione said coldly, "I eat plenty. And I've been speaking with Professor McGonagall about the working conditions of the school elves and I think she's beginning to see my point."

Ron took a breath. Yelling about elves wasn't going to get him anywhere; he'd learned that a long time ago. But he was truly concerned and he needed to know that she was going to be all right once he left. "Hermione, I love that you care about the elves, I do. But I need you to care about yourself too. It's hard enough being away from you. I don't want to worry that you're making yourself sick."

"I'm fine Ron," she said, her tone bordering on exasperated. "I'll go to every meal. Even if you and Harry aren't around to remind me."

"Eating is one of our finer talents," Ron said with a grin, trying to lighten the situation a bit.

Harry and Ginny turned up at that moment. "Having fun?" Ginny sat next to Hermione and stole Ron's mug.

"Don't we always?" Ron rolled his eyes and grabbed his drink back, ignoring Ginny's indignant protest as some of sloshed onto her hand.

"We could hear you from outside," Harry said.

"That's because Ron's got a big mouth," Hermione said dryly.

" _I've_ got a big mouth!" Ron cried incredulously. "Oh Professor McGonagall, Harry got a broomstick for Christmas and I think it's from Sirius Black!"

"It WAS from Sirius!"

"Well, good to know the two of you aren't letting the long distance thing get to you," Ginny said.

They walked the girls to the main gate, the other students trickling in ahead of them. "I don't want you to go," Hermione said softly.

"I don't want you to stay," Ron said. He hugged her close. "Please take care of yourself. Don't work so hard."

It was like asking a niffler not to dig for gold, but he had to at least try. "Ron I have to work. It's important. And I'm Head Girl."

He opened his mouth to make one more impassioned plea but someone cleared their throat and he turned to see Professor McGonagall standing just inside the gates. "It's eight o'clock ladies," she said. "I suggest you say your goodnights and come inside."

Hermione gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you soon."

With that she and Ginny were gone. "Potter, Weasley." McGonagall nodded at them curtly. "I've been hearing good things. About both of you. You've done us all proud."

"Thank you," Harry said in surprise and Ron echoed him.

"Goodnight then gentlemen." McGonagall swirled away and the gates closed behind her, leaving them once again on the outside looking in.

"Well that was a nice change," Harry said. "Usually she's telling us off for getting in trouble, not the other way around."

"Yeah," Ron said, only half hearing him.

"You all right?" Harry asked once they'd apparated home. "Is it Hermione?"

"You noticed?" Ron asked.

Harry looked contemplative. "She didn't seem quite like herself. I think Ginny's right to be worried."

"Well I am too," Ron said gruffly. "She's working too hard, I know it. And we're not there to stop her."

"Since when have we ever been able to stop Hermione doing anything?" Harry said with a laugh, but he quit when he saw how upset Ron was. "She'll be all right Ron. It's one year."

"You're probably right." But deep down Ron wasn't sure.

* * *

A/N: Once again, Ginny proves to be a delight, even though she only has a few sentences. What do you think? Will Hermione stop working so hard? Let me know in the reviews!


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